Textile fiber winder



Oct. 11, 1960 M. A. cAsE TEXTILE FIBER WINDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 7, 1955 O Z' U INVENTOR. Ma/v5 A. Case Oct. 11, i960 M. A. cAsE TEXTILE: FIBER WINDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 7, 1955 JNVENToR. Mor/ys ,4. Case BY Z/ mm. QQN

oct. 11, 1960 M. A. @se 2,955,772v

TEXTILE FIBER WINDER Filed Nov. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 60 Q 57 60 ii||l 5% 'b L65 4/ G4/ 66 "L F INVENTOR. 43 Worf/I5 A. 645e gz 4' y BY Oct. 11, 1960 M. A. cAsE TEXTILE F1555 wmnz-:R

Fired Nov. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Mor/v5 045e 2 AHORA/5% United States Patent O TEXTILE FIBER WINDER Morris A. Case, Kansas City, Mo.

Filed Nov. 7, 1955, Ser. No. 545,389

7 Claims. (Cl. 242-43) This invention relates to apparatus for very high speed winding of textile bers on rotating winding drums and refers more particularly to such lapparatus in which adjacent strands overlap at a large angle in the Windup process.

Strands ofl textile glass bers are formed by pulling some 204 glass bers from a platinum bushing. The fibers are collected together on a shoe to form the strand, at which point sizing is applied and from the shoe the strand is directed to a windup mechanism. The requirements for winding such a textile glass ber strand dier markedly from those encountered in winding twisted bers such as yarn, For textile bers it is imperative for one to be able to unwind individual strands from the drum, each strand being made up of the 204 filaments. 'I'he individual filaments which make up the strand are not twisted together and therefore have no unitary integrity. The sizing serves to bind the 204 laments into a strand, but must not bind strands together so as to hinder the unwinding operation. If the textile ber strands are wound with successive turns lying side by side, the laments of adjacent turns tend to become so interentangled that the separate identities of the strands disappear. Any attempt to unwind a package or drum formed with turns lying side by side usually breaks a number of the laments which thereupon do not unwind with the rest of the strand. Successive breakages of filaments on a windup drum or spool often precludes unwinding of the larger portion of the spool, thereby resulting in a poor recovery therefrom.

To be able to successfully unwind individual strands of textile bers at the desired velocities, one must have the `'adjacent strands overlapping one another at a large angle. When the strand from the `shoe is wound upon the forming tube in wide-angle pattern, the untwisted strands as collected can be readily de-spooled from the forming tube package and run into an operation such as collection from a creel on which a multiplicity of forming tube packages are placed to form a 60-lament strand roving, or for running into a parallel strand fabric or to twisters for the purpose of 'composing yarns.

To accomplish a winding wherein the strand is placed on the windup drum or spool in large helixes so that the strands cross each other at large angles, the bers must move sharply in a lateral direction at the same time they are being wound up. Continuous glass bers must be formed at a high windup speed in order to secure the desired ber diameter. This high-pull speed creates a winding problem as traverse speeds in the range of one length of the package for every four rotations thereof to one length of the package for each single rotation of the package may be required to produce the desired effect.

'I'he sizing which is applied to the 204 glass bers making up the individual strand has the purpose of both preventing abrading action and holding the bers together in an integral strand. If the strand is not laid on the windup drum with adjacent strands overlapping at a large angle, the adjacent and overlapping strands in the package 2,955,772 Patented Oct. l1, 1960 ICC tend to bond together through the medium of the still wet sizing and make unwinding impossible.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for creating lateral movement in highspeed windup of textile ber strands which will insure that the individual strands can be unwound from the windup drum.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which has positive operation, high lateral movement with respect to windup speed and even lay-up of the textile ber strands on the windup drum.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which permits longer operation in the textile ber windup before shut-down due to ber breakage or other malfunction, thus permitting greater aggregation of textile ber on the windup drum, said apparatus of simple construction, thus permitting ready adjustment and swift repair.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a described mechanism which will permit high speed windup of all types of textile bers where high pull speeds are encountered and provide suicient lateral movement of the strands in 'the windup process thereby insuring that individual strands can be unwound.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith, there are shown two embodiments of the invention and, in the various views, like numerals are used to indicate like parts.

Fig. l is a front view of a preferred modication of the invention, illustrating the inventive mechanism for creating lateral movement of the ber strand in a textile ber Windup operation.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the preferred modification ofthe invention shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 2a is a side view of the preferred modication of the invention shown in Fig. l, differing from Fig. 2 only in that the alignment of the strand relative to the beating arms is vertical.

Fig. 3 is a top View of a second form of the inventive apparatus for creating lateral movement of a textile ber during a windup operation.

Fig. 4 is a front View of the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side View of the m'odcation of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 5a is a side View of the modication of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 identical with the view of Fig. 5, but with the single dierence that the strand is aligned vertically with relation to the beater shafts.

Fig. 6 is a front View of the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 with parts cut away.

Two modications of the invention are shown in the drawings with the preferred modication being illustrated in Figs. 1 -and 2. The modications and their functions grill be described separately, the preferred modification Referring then to Figs. l and 2, the numeral 10 indicates a source for supplying a plurality of bers to form the textile ber strand, in this instance a glass melting furnace 10 having a platinum bushing 11 with the oonventional 204 openings therein, said openings feeding forth the same number of minute streams of molten glass 12. Any other conventional source of a textile ber strand may be employed in the .place of this arrangement. Guide or shoe 13 serves to gather the bers 12 into a strand 14. Shoe 13 is adapted to apply a suitable lubricant and binder (sizing) to the laments 12 as they are gathered into strand 14. Windup drum 15, which is rotatable about a horizontal axis, is adapted to receive `the strand 14 and wind it thereon. Drum 15 is removably mounted on horizontal shaft 16 and is adapted to be driven at a relatively high speed by a suitable driving mechanism.V Such a driving mechanism comprises motor 17, said motor driving" sheave' 18 which engages belt `19 which also Yencicles drum shaft sheave`20. DrumV shaft 16 .has bearingZl and shaft 'support22, the shaft support and the motor being held down by bolts 23.

Strand traversing means for preventing interentangling of the fibers of adjacent strands 14 of Vthe textile fiber wound on the windup drum 15 are positioned between the source for supplying the Vplurality of fibers to form Y the strand 14 and the windup drum 15. Said strand traversing means comprises a pair of diametric arms 24a and 24h, each arm being mounted on a shaft 25a and 25bl Shafts ZSdand 25b are parallel to one another and extend atY right angles to the axis of the windup Shafts 25a and 25b may be positioned as desired'relative the strand line to the drum but horizontally (as shown) or perpendicular to the line are contemplated as the most useful angles, depending on the nature of Vthe berbeing wound.V Each diametric arm is formed of a pair of wires bent to three-quarter rectangular shape and secured at their open ends to the horizontal Yshafts 25a and 25b', seas to form a single `diametrical arm thereon. Said diametric arms are'rotatable around the axis of the shaft as the Vshafts 25a and 25h rotate therearound. Horizontal shafts 25a vand 5b are positioned one from the other a distance greater than the radius of one of the diametric arms so there will be no con-tact between the arms and the adjacent horizontal shaft. The shafts 25a and 25b are to be rotated in opposing directions and the diametric arms* positioned on the shafts'rotate 90 out of phase.

, Projection 26 composed of three-quarter rectangular wire pieces welded to the leading edges of each radial 'armv of each diametric arm follow the back side ofthe preceding diametric arm by less than the aforementioned 90. Shafts 25a and 25b have supporting bearings 26a and 26b respectively mounted on supports 27a and 27b which, in turn, are integral with stand 28 which is fixed to upper base 29 by bolts 30. Upper base 29 is xed to lower base 31 by bolts 32 and lower base 31 which isV held down by bolts 33. Geared Wheels 34a and 34b are'attached to the ends ofV shafts 25a and 25b respectively, the shafts being driven by motor 35 positioned on stand 28A. Y Sheave 36 on motor shaft 37 drives beltV 38 engaging sheave 39 on shaft 25b. 'd Y In operation, the furnace melts glass therein and fibers 12 are drawn downwardly by hand to shoe 13 which gathers the bers to form the strand 14. Strand 14 is engaged, usually manually, to windup drum which, under impetus of motor 17, picks up rotation tothe desired velocity, thereby drawing'out the fibers 12 to their proper diameter. the diametric arms 24aV and 2411 to engage the windup drum. Simultaneously with the beginning of lthe windup, motor 35 begins rotation of the diametric arms 24a and 2'4b in opposite directions due to the interengageinent of gear Wheels 34a and 34b. Each'succeedingV radial arm of the diametric arms 24a and 24b is 90 out of phase with the preceding radial arm. Extensions 26 on the leading edges of succeeding radial arms of the diametric arms 24a and 24b permit pickup of the strand 114 by the fol# lowingi'radial -arm at a gap of less than 90. It has been foundthat no`secondaryY traverse is requiredV in a ber traversing mechanism employing diametric beaters Vof Vthe type illustrated in the preferred modification of the invention with arms rotating 90 out Vof phase. There is no tendency in such an apparatus for the fiber strands `to build up at the ends ofthe drum 15. 'Ihe width of the windup on the drum 15` is Ythe distance fromgthe tip ofV a radial arm on one shaft tothe tip of the second arm on the other shaft when the arms are horizontally positioned between .the two shafts 25a and 2517. If shafts 25a andV 2517 rotate 1,000 revolutionsper minute there will be limiting, but merely illustrative of an operative velocity.

Fig. 2a shows a view identical in all respects to that of Fig. 2 except that 'the windup drum has been moved away from the frame leg 31 and the guide or shoe 13' has been moved toward the beater mechanism whereby the strand 14 moves in an essentially vertical path, essentially at right angles to shafts 25a and25b. As all of the parts and structures'shown in Fig. 2a are identical, except for the arrangement mentioned Yto provide the substantial Y right angle orientation of the strand relative to the beater mechanism, all of the parts are numbered the same.

Referring now to Figs. l3, 4, 5 and 6, in these figures is shown a secondary modification of the invention wherein a primary traverse across the Windup drum is provided by a pair of beater arms anda secondary traverse across Strand 14 has been led between Y the drum .is provided by: moving the frameon which the beaterarms are mounted back and forth relative the Vwindup drum@ Such a secondary traverse is required when the type of beater arms illustrated in this modiiica-V tionis employed;

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the sources for supplying a plurality of textile fibers Itoform the textile fiber strand are not shown but may be considered as similar to the structures shown in the preferred modification in Figs. l and 2 wherein a glass melting furnace having a platinum bushing with a plurality of openings therein provides a multiplicity of streams of molten glass which are drawn down to a guide` or shoe for gathering the fibers into a strand, the guide or shoe being Vadapted to apply a suitable lubricant and Ybinder (sizing) to the filaments as they are gathered into the strand; In the present modification, the strand y40 is engaged with a windup drum 40a which is rotatable about a horizontal axis and adapted to receive therstrand 40 and wind it thereon. Drum 40a is removably mounted on horizontal shaft 41 and is adapted to be driven at a relatively high speed by a suitable driving mechanism. Such driving mechanism comprises motor '42 which is mounted on base 43.Y The velocity of the fiber drawing process attenu-ates the molten glass streams from the glass source into continuous laments.

Strand traversing means for preventing interentangling of the bers of adjacent strands onto the/windup drum 40a are positioned between the source of the ibers and the windup drum. Said strand traversing means comprises a pairY Yof radial arms 44a and 44hV rotatably mounted onshafts y45a and 45h, 'the shafts 45a and 45b being parallelV to one another and positioned atY right angles to the axis of the windup drum 40a. Shafts 45d and 45b may be positioned as desired relative 'thestrand line to the drum but horizontally (as shown) or perpendicular to the line are contemplated as the most useful angles, depending on the nature of the fiber being wound. Each radial arm is formed of a' wire bent to three-quarter rectangular shape and Vsecured at the open ends to the shafts 45a and 45b. The radial arms are rotatable around the axes of the shafts andthe shafts are positioned one from'the other a distance greater than the radius of the radial arms.A Said radial arms 44a and 44h are preferably rotated in opposite directions 180 Vout of phase whereby to beat the strand 40 back and forth vbetween the two shafts 45al and 45b to provide a helical Vvvindup on the Windup drum.V Shafts l45a` and i451) lare held in'bearings 46a and 4612 respectively on support 47 which is held to travelingbase '48 jbyfbolt 49. 'Y Geared wheels 50a and 50h are Vfixed to the endsof shafts 45a and 45b, respectively and sheaveV V51 Vis fixed to the outer end of'shaft 4Sb.V Means for driving the shafts in opposite directions through the aforementioned gear wheels. and sheave comprise motor SZ'attached to traveling base 48 by bolts 53.

Motor 52 VVdrives shaft 54 and sheave 55, sheaves 51 and jSbensengaged by belt 56- 1 As previously mentioned, when the type of radial arms shown are employed in the ber traversing process, it is necessary to employ a secondary traverse mechanism to prevent excessive buildup of the textile fibers at the ends of the windup drum. Therefore, suitable secondary traverse mechanism must be provided. Stationary base 43 has mounted at the upper portion thereof tracks 57a and 57b which are parallel to the axis of the windup drum. Traveling base 48 has grooved wheels 58 mounted on extensions 59 by shafts 60 which engage said tracks 57a and 57b and permit the Itraveling base carrying the beater arm assembly and its power unit to move back and forth along the track relative the windup drum. Traveling base y48 also has cam roller 61 attached to the bottom side thereof through ange 62 engaging cam roller shaft 63. Constant velocity traverse cam 64 is mounted relative cam roller 61 on rotatable shaft 65. Shaft 65 is mounted in bearings 66 `and has on one end thereof sheave 67 which is engaged by belt 68 connecting with motor sheave 69 driven by motor 70. The cam roller 61 is engaged by the grooved track 64a in the constant velocity cam 64 and when the shaft 65 is rotated by motor 70, the rotation of the constant velocity cam traverses the traveling base 48 and its parts mounted thereon back yand forth along the tracks 57a and 5717 relative the windup drum 40a.

It should be noted that it would be possible to operate the radial arms 44a and 44b by rotating them in the same direction, still 180 out of phase. To accomplish this, it would be necessary to insert an extra geared wheel between the two geared wheels 50a and 50b or to provide separate synchronized drives for each of the shafts 45a and 45h. These modcations are not shown but are contemplated as possible. 'Ihe preferred modification of this form of traversing beater employs counter-rotation of the shafts 45a and 45h.

In operation, a furnace melts glass, the fibers of which are drawnv down through a proper bushing to a shoe to form a strand 40. Strand 40 is engaged to the windup drum 40a which, under the action of motor 42, rapidly picks up the rotation to a desired velocity, thereby drawing out the fibers to their proper diameter. The strand 40 has been led between radial arms 44a and 44b and simultaneously with the operation of the motor 42 the arm driving motor 52 begins the rotation in opposite directions of the radial arms 44a and 44h through the driving mechanism previously described. Each succeeding radial arm is 180 out of phase with the preceding radial arm. Almost simultaneously with the beginning of the windup and the beating action, the motor 70 begins to rotate the shaft 65 and thereby the constant veloci-ty cam 64. Cam roller 61, being engaged in the groove 64a of the constant velocity cam operates to begin the traverse of the traveling base 48 and the beating apparatus mounted thereon. With the secondary traverse in operation and the arms beating the strand 40 back and forth between the shafts 45a and 45b there is no tendency for an excessive textile iber buildup at the ends of the windup drum 46a. The width of the windup on the drum is equal to the distance between the tips of the radial arms when positioned between the shafts 45a and 45b plus the distance of the traverse which is defined by the angular displacement of the constant velocity cam 64. In this modification of the invention, the fiber strand l40 changes directions twice per revolution of the shaft 45a and y451:. Thus, for a 1,750 revolution per minute rate of rotation of the arms 44a and 44b there will be 3,500 direction changes per minute of the strand. If the drum is rotating 6,000 revolutions per minute, there will be .58 traverse of the strand on the drum for each revolution thereof. Naturally, in the latter instance, the secondary traverse must be 'taken into account in any problem of ber buildup.

Fig. 5a shows a view identical to that of Fig. 5 except in the following items. In the first place, the windup drum 40a has been moved outwardly from the frame supporting the beating mechanism. In the second place, the guide or shoe, which is not shown in Fig. 5, is shown in Fig. 5a oriented so that the fiber strand moves essen- Itially vertically and essentially at right angles to shafts '45a land 45b. The parts in view 5a showing the guide 13, the strands 12 and the glass source parts 11 and 10 have been numbered the same as the identical parts in Fig. 2a and parts identical to those in Fig. 5 are numbered the same as in that view.

It should be noted that nothing in this disclosure should be construed as limiting this mechanism to glass fibers as it lends itself to all textile fiber winding where highpull speeds are encountered and it is desired to wind the textile fiber strand on the windup drum in large angle helixes.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. Apparatus for winding textile fibers in strand form comprising a source for supplying a textile ber strand, a rotatable primary shaft horizontally oriented for supporting a windup drum adapted to receive and wind the said texile fiber strand thereon, a windup drum mounted on said primary shaft, means for rotating said primary shaft -and windup drum, a pair of secondary shafts disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of the primary shaft, said secondary shafts positioned between the strand source and 'the windup drum, extending on each side of the line of travel of the strand between the source and the drum, and also extending -at substantial right angles to the line of travel of the strand between the source and the drum, means for rotating the secondary shafts, at least one U-shaped strand engaging arm xed to each secondary shaft by the arms of the U, the base of the U of each strand engaging arm spaced away from said secondary shaft and extending at least substantially parallel thereto, each said strand engaging arm of sucient length in the base portion thereof extending parallel to the shafts to prevent the strand from sliding oif either end of the arm when the strand is in contact therewith during rotation of the shaft.

2. Apparatus as in claim l wherein only one strand engaging arm is xed to each secondary shaft, the secondary shafts rotate in opposite directions and the strand engaging arms rotate in opposition, one from the other.

3. Apparatus as in claim l wherein only one strand engaging arm is fixed to each secondary shaft and the secondary shafts are displaced (laterally, one from the other, a distance greater than the distance the base portions of the strand engaging arms are spaced from the secondary shafts.

4. Apparatus as in claim l including secondary traverse means for moving the secondary shafts back and forth relative to the windup drum to avoid aggregation of the strand at the end portions thereof.

5. Apparatus as in claim l wherein two U-shaped strand engaging arms are fixed by the arms thereof to each secondary shaft extending in directions diametrically opposite, one from the other, the secondary shafts rotate in opposite directions and the strand engaging arms on the Y arm byiless than 90.

two secondary shafts are so positioned relative toonffA another as to rotate successive strand engaging arms at least substantially 90 behind-one another.

' V6. Apparatus asin claim 5 including U- shaped secondary strand engaging arms connected to the `leading sides of .the arms of Veach strand engaging arm in the direction of rotation thereof, said secondary strand engaging arms following the back side of the preceding strand engaging `7Q ApparatusV as -in claim 1 including a U-shaped sec- Yondary strand Vengaging arm connected to the leading sides of the arms of each strand engaging arm in the direction of rotation thereof; said secondary strand engaging arms having a strandengaging portion thereof of equal length to the strand engaging base of the strand engaging arms and extending parallel thereto,`the Secondary strand engaging arms so positioned on said strand l engaging arms as to Contact the strand in rotation ofthe secondary shafts before the strand engaging arms.

References YCited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PA'I'I'ISV 

